Senator representing Bauchi South, Shehu Buba, has dismissed viral videos that appear to link him with alleged bandit leaders. He described the clips as manipulated materials being recirculated to damage his reputation.

Buba, who is the Peoples Redemption Party governorship candidate in Bauchi State, said a fact-check showed that the videos combined two unrelated clips to create a false impression. According to him, one clip showed Hajj returnees who visited his residence in 2023, while the other featured different people displaying passports.

He traced the controversy to September 2024, when he publicly condemned the alleged killing of two charcoal sellers. After that intervention, he said, accusations of links to banditry began circulating, including claims that he sponsored someone for the Hajj pilgrimage through an aide, which he denied.

The senator said he has taken legal action over the matter, including a defamation suit in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. He also reported that five suspects were later arraigned on charges related to cyberstalking, defamation and extortion, with the case still ongoing.

Buba challenged anyone with genuine evidence to present it to the security agencies and insisted he has nothing to hide. He urged journalists and the public to verify the videos, examine their origins and judge him based on facts rather than social media claims.

Photo credit: Arise News